Blonde Ambition How The Similar Careers Of Madonna And...

Alejandro Rodriguez Riley English Comp I – 1301- 052 October 23, 2017 Blonde Ambition: How the Similar Careers of Madonna and Britney Spears Created Two Different Pop Icons At the 2003 MTV Video Music Awards, pop icon Madonna joined two of the biggest pop stars at the time, Britney Spears and Christina Aguilera, on stage and would share a buzzworthy performance that kept the world talking and cemented the performers as some of the greatest MTV has ever seen. At the time, Spears was about to release a new album. She was still in the only years of her career, but with this performance, where the three female pop stars exchanged open mouth kisses on national television, critics began to wonder- could Britney Spears be the new Madonna of the†¦show more content†¦While both performers are singers by trade, both have been ridiculed for their vocal abilities in comparison to their contemporaries. Madonna and Spears both receive constant criticism for using a backing vocal track, a widely used tool in the music industry for performers where she sings live over a pre-recorded track, during most live performances with heavy choreography. While Madonna was being compared to Janet Jackson and Whitney Houston, Spears was competing with her contemporaries like Christina Aguilera or even Jennifer Lopez. However, in 1987 Madonna’s Who’s That Girl tour earned her $25 Million in US ticket sales in comparison to Houston’s $20.1 Million earned for her Moment of Truth tour that same year. (Thakur 168) Madonna has also sold over 300 Million records worldwide and is has generated over $1.2 Billion in sales during the first half of her career. (Kramarae Spender 459) Spears also came out on top throughout her early career as becoming the biggest female artist of the decade of the 21st century with over 150 million albums sold worldwide- heavily outselling Aguilera, Lopez, and other contemporaries. (Billboard) In fact, Guinness World Records has Spears’ debut album as the best-selling album by a teenager selling 25 Million records In 2001, Spears hadShow MoreRelatedTeaching Notes Robert Grant - Strategy 4th Edition51665 Words   |  207 PagesContents Introduction 3 1 Madonna 21 2 Laura Ashley Holdings plc: The Battle for Survival 26 3 The US Airline Industry in 2002 33 4 DaimlerChrysler and the World Automobile Industry 41 5 Wal-Mart Stores Inc., May 2002 49 6 Eastman Kodak: Meeting the Digital Challenge 62 7 Organizational Restructuring within the Royal Dutch/Shell Group 70 8 Harley-Davidson, Inc., January 2001 77 9 Online Broking Strategies: Merrill Lynch, Charles Schwab and E*Trade 83 10 11 12 Emi and the CT Scanner

China International Electronic Commerce Center - 1156 Words

Mr. Ma was born in China in 1964 and graduated in English 1988 to become a teacher. He was exposed to several opportunities for instance going to America to gain knowledge about the use of internet. Ma borrowed 2000$ from his relatives to launch China’s commercial website called China Pages. He moved to Beijing in 1998 to work for the Ministry of Foreign Trade and Economic Cooperation as the head of International Department of the China international electronic COmmerce Center and designed their first government website for China. By gathering a total of 18 friends, he explained to them what he visioned and compensated them Rimini- which is the currency chinese use. In 1999, Alibaba was launched registered in Hong Kong with the 60000$†¦show more content†¦Creator of Yahoo! Search engine, John Wu, joined Alibaba and Jack Ma appointed him as the Chief Technology Officer of Alibaba. It became the world s largest online global trading with 2000 members and 70% was chinese . This lead to many e-commerces ventures in China based on the popularity it was receiving. Alibaba focused on SME’s and became its WTO to help small and medium Enterprises grow. Because the internet was getting well liked by the people of china, Alibaba became known to be the largest online business to business trading platform for the small businesses. Their products and services included electronics, apparel, auto and transportation s, electronic payment services, logistics operations, etc. 1688.com, was their chinese portal that offered domestic business to business trade internally in China. AliExpress.com, was their transaction based reati website that gave buyers the opportunities to buy small goods at a wholesale prices.. With their operations based in China, although it has grown to be a global organizational platform, it focused on china as their main target. 4 main challenges Competition in the eCommerce Market: 1600 employees in sales departments that helped built their supplier community. Dotcom Bubble Burst: companies filed for bankruptcy since revenues were dropping from internet advertising. By initiating the B2C strategy, Alibaba was back to business stronger than ever. The B2C involved 1) Back to China-

China’s Economic Problems and Slow Growth Rate †Free Samples

Question: Why is Chinas Growth Rate Slowing Down? Answer: After experiencing an extraordinary rapideconomic growth for more than a decade, China is currently experiencing an excruciating slowdown, thus shifting from state investment led to consumption and service driven economy. Itseconomic growth weakens as the GDP further slows down in 2016Q4 (6.8% y/y against 6.9%y/y in Q3; lowest since 2009) as the retail sales weakens (10.7%y/y in Apr-17 against 10.9%y/y in Mar-17), fixed asset investment edges down (8.9% y/y in Apr-17 against 9.2%y/y in Mar-17), while industrial output reflects the major disappointment in Mar-17 (6.5% y/y against 7.6% y/y in Mar-17),albeit a moderation in auto sales industry is noted. Key industrial commodity such as iron ore prices have also slowed down as a result of the waning demand (Acton, 2017). Corporate debt increased from 60% to 165% of GDP in 2017, thus forming a largest share in Chinas total debt structure, following business defaulters and bankruptcies, low profits and returns on investment and the likelihood of yet another slowdown in real estate sector (Minnich, 2016). In fact, IMF has to revise their growth rate cut which has further created fear among policymakers, investors and consumers thus shaken their confidence. The outlook for the year 2017 suggests that the growth would further reduce to 6.5% following the hike in the interest rates by the central Bank (Jacob, 2017). Cheap labor, high level of investment and global demand for Chinese goods are some of the highlights of the economys high level of performance. Chinas unusual investment level had led to fall in the returns and very much have challenged its financial system as they finance such investments. So, as the demand for cheap export fall while consumption expenditure continues to decrease, investment has been the Chinas engine of growth financed by loans, bonds and informal lending (McGrath,2016). While US and Japan used government spending to stimulate growth, China controlled banking sector and have a policy of easy access to credit to stimulate the slowing economy. Moreover, it has followed accommodative monetary policy reducing the interest rate and slashing it thrice since Nov. However, China is reliant on foreign cash inflows for monetary growth so it is very unlikely that this policy is going to help (Minnich, 2016). Hence, to revive the investors confidence across globe, there is an urgent need to reduce investment level in order to make returns to capital attractive. At the same time, consumption expenditure should be increased by the same amount in order to balance out so that the overall aggregate demand isnt adversely impacted. This implies transfer of purchasing power from bourgeois class to the workers, thus causing a rift between the two classes. It has become prominent that china needs to reformulate its social andeconomic reform and align them as per the need of an hour, thus enable them to achieve stability in the economy. Thus, current capitalist model is likely to fall apart in coming years as crises- economic, social and ecological converges in China(Li, 2012). References Jacobs, S. (2017). China's industrial production slows down. [online] Business Insider. Available at: https://www.businessinsider.com/china-industrial-production-april-2017-2017-5?IR=T [Accessed 15 May 2017]. Jacobs, S. (2017). China's industrial production slows down. [online] Business Insider. Available at: https://www.businessinsider.com/china-industrial-production-april-2017-2017-5?IR=T [Accessed 15 May 2017]. Janda, M. (2017). 'Meaningful slowdown' for Chinese economy. [online] ABC News. Available at: https://www.abc.net.au/news/2017-05-15/china-economic-data-retail-sales-investment/8527022 [Accessed 15 May 2017]. Li, D. (2012). A Dying Model: Chinese Capitalism. [online] The Diplomat. Available at: https://thediplomat.com/2012/11/a-dying-model-chinese-capitalism/ [Accessed 15 May 2017]. McGrath, P. (2017). China posts slowest economic growth in 25 years. [online] Abc.net.au. Available at: https://www.abc.net.au/7.30/content/2015/s4391078.htm [Accessed 15 May 2017]. Minnich, J. (2017). Chinas economic problems will come to a head in 2017. [online] MarketWatch. Available at: https://www.marketwatch.com/story/chinas-economic-problems-will-come-to-a-head-in-2017-2016-11-23 [Accessed 15 May 2017].

The Creolization of Old Calabar free essay sample

The business and social interactions of the African and English slave traders created a very different Old Calabar. As the slave trade grew the society quickly started to reflect not only the traditions and values of the Africans but of the English as well. Old Calabar became a New Creolized Calabar†. Was this the direct result of the slave trading? The evidence says yes? The creolization of the African Society of Calabar can clearly be associated with the slave trade by analyzing their language changes, life style changes and political changes as the slave trading became more competitive and economically beneficial. Creolization usually brings to mind the decedents in Louisiana born to the Spanish, French and Haitians before the Civil War. Randy Sparks introduces the idea of creolization as being a way to explain what happened in Old Calabar, but interestingly, he poses the thought that it had little to do with the origin or birth of those involved. Sparks instead introduces historian Ira Berlins idea of the Robin Johns being a kind of Atlantic Creole not because of blood lines but by experiences. Ira Berlins quote is as follows: Familiar with the commerce of the Atlantic, fluent in its new languages, and intimate with its trade and cultures, they were cosmopolitan in the fullest sense. (pg. 4) The Robin Johns were not only fluent in the English language but also in trade language alluded to by Ira Berlin. These various languages developed in areas from Gambia to Cameron and developed as a result of the constant exposure of slave traders to each others languages. The variations spread around the Atlantic Ocean to areas where slave trade was popular from Africa to the Americas to Europe. Sparks describes the languages as a combination of mostly English words having African Grammatical structures. The African leaders in Old Calabar were responsible for the cosmopolitan† like essence of the Robin Robins. The leaders knew that by being more European understanding the European customs and practicing the lifestyle. It gave them the competitive edge over the other African competitors who did not. Joining with the Europeans in the lucrative slave business was an economic gold mine. So, the smart African transformed himself into an image of what they believed made them more appealing to the Europeans. An example of this would be that they ordered and used extravagant products such as English razors, pewter piss pots and mirrors six feet tall. The degree of their creolization is very apparent on pages 11 and 12 of the first chapter. Sparks description of Grandy King George, who was originally known as Ephraim, is filled with the pageantry of both Royal English and African fused together. Sparks describes Grandy King George as he boards the Royal Canoe the day before The Massacre of 1767. Sparks indicates that Grandy King George wore a multicolored robe and red coat trimmed in gold lace, a silk sash thrown over his shoulders. He carried a gold skull headed cane in one hand and a fine ceremonial sword in the other. Under one arm he carried a gold trimmed cocked hat and the ensigns that, as Sparks describes them, blew in the wind, engraved with Grandy King Georges name written in English letters. The Kings name being written in English letters emphasizes the point that the African Slave traders not only spoke the English language, but also had the ability to read and write it. The unique combination of The Kings attire and accessories powerfully displayed his desire to indicate his appreciation for both cultures. The red coat trimmed in gold clearly reflected his admiration of the English Royals, while the skull headed cane, on the other hand, indicated his pride in his African heritage. Sparks seems to save his last description of the King and his surroundings that day as the most obvious fusion of the two cultures. He describes that behind the King, in the center of the canoe, there was a small house painted in bright colors, and on top of the house there were two men loudly playing the drums. There was a canon in the bow of the canoe, and in front of the canon was a man who shook a large bundle of reeds to symbolically ward off obstacles. Again, one could say that the mixing of cultures is self-evident. The canon would have been something purchased from the English, while the spirit man and the men beating the drums would have reflected his African faith. African Politics in the area of Efiks experienced significant change after the slave trade with the English escalated. The economy had been predominantly based on agricultural trade and there was no strong centralized government. Small groups of population approximately 1200 were divided up into Wards and Houses lead by town council Elders and House Elders. As the economy grew, the criteria for qualification as head of house changed from lineage to wealth. Houses became larger, Wards and Towns as well. A stronger governing system was created. The â€Å"Grand Council† was introduced to govern the â€Å"Council of Elders†. The â€Å"Ekpe Society† was created to set standards and create laws for the entire system. Entry into the system was open to all men even slaves as long as the entry fees were paid. The Society had many levels of membership determined by the wealth of the man. The Ekpe Society controlled all trading regulations both slave and agricultural. In addition they controlled the economy. They set prices for goods, enforced debt collection, payment submissions and kept track of inventory. The Ekpe Society even controlled who was responsible for sweeping the streets. The crealization is seen in the change of the African Society governing style from a lineage system to a system influenced more by wealth and requiring strong central government. In conclusion it is clear that the relationship with the English and the huge amounts of capital to be made created a creolized African Society. It changed how they thought about status. They wanted English clothes, razors, mirrors and pewter piss pots. The government became more about money than lineage and last but not least their language changed. An entire language was created around the slave trade.

Hebrew vs Greek Religion free essay sample

The Ancient Hebrew culture was a culture defined by many things but mostly for their construction of their religion. Hebrews or the religion Judaism were the first to be a monotheistic religion, unlike many others they believed that there was only one God, â€Å"You shall have no other gods besides Me. † (Exodus 20. 1, RWH 131) Their religion began when Abraham spoke with a supernatural deity on a hill. It was at that time when the deity and Abraham made a covenant. The deity promised Abraham that if he followed his rules his people would flourish and be protected. Hebrews believed that this god made the heavens and the earth, the sun and the moon etc. Their religion existed around him and they would do anything to please him and live by his laws. The belief in ancient Hebrew was that God was one that had a commitment to righteousness and integrity, and they had sayings to prove it. We will write a custom essay sample on Hebrew vs Greek Religion or any similar topic specifically for you Do Not WasteYour Time HIRE WRITER Only 13.90 / page â€Å"You shall not murder. You shall not steal. † (Exodus 20:5, RWH 131) These are a part of the Ten Commandments which was core of Mosaic law. It was a guiding hand on the way God would have liked humans to behave with one another. They believed in what we call the golden rule do onto others as they would do unto you. This religion was so tied in with the covenant with god that there was no difference between a sin and a crime, both were punishable in the same way, you must seek forgiveness of the deity and of the person you did the crime against. The Hebrews valued their lives and their bodies because they believed that God has made them in his image, â€Å"And God created man in His image, in the image of God. He created him; male and female He created them. † (Gen 1:26, RWH 128) The people of Ancient Israel believed that there life was given by od and they were the chosen people under his rule. There are many passages in the old testament that talk about your body being a temple from God and that you needed to do right with your life and gods law. After the Persians saved the Jews from Babylonian Captivity they expanded their thoughts on Yahweh. They started to think about good and evil and life and d eath. There was now in their thoughts â€Å"A time for being born and a time for dying. † (Ecclesiastes 3:2, RWH 141) They stated to consider eschatology and also the apocalypse, that one day the coming of god and the Day of Judgment would occur. On this day god would bring peace and justice to humankind, and they would be with him. Archaic Greeks had a much different beliefs than the ancient Hebrew people about their gods. Greeks believed that both man and god came from the same place, â€Å"Of how both gods and men began the same. † (Five Ages 1. 1, RWH 49) Greeks considered their many gods were just another species of human. They did not believe that the gods made them or wanted them to worship at their feet. Greeks believed that they interacted with them daily. However they believed that there was specialness about them that Zeus made them to be above the normal humans. Zeus made demi-gods â€Å"In godlike race of heroes, who are called demi-gods a race before our own. † (Hesiod 1. 53, RWH 50) In all tales of the Greeks there was always a hero and that hero was portrayed as a god like person or a person with a godlike skill. Also in theses tails its said that the reason for Gods was to understand natural occurrences happening around the Greeks. Even though humans and gods were made of the same things Greeks believed that gods had special powers. The Greeks believed that even the mightiest of man could still be controlled by the gods, â€Å"Which of the gods was it that made them a quarrel? (Plague and Wrath 1. 8, RWH, 33) Not only did the gods have their special powers but they had the power to mess with the humans. In many instances people like Odysseus and his wife believed that the gods had done something evil or deceitful to someone they knew or even themselves. Greeks did not just have a secular god, they had many gods and those gods ha d many different jobs. There were also two different classifications for the gods. One was the Olympians and they lived on the top of Mount Olympus and then there were the Chthonian they lived underground controlling all things earthly. The gods, who live on Mount Olympus, next Fashioned a lesser, silver race of men:† this illustrates that the Greeks had mount Olympus as the dwelling grounds of the gods and they saw themselves as a lesser human. There were gods for war, gods for love, and gods for everything. Greeks however thought that Zeus was the father of all gods and themselves. As you can see, with just these few details that Archaic Greeks and Ancient Hebrews had very different practices, values and beliefs. Greeks had many gods that had very different roles in everyday life, they had many stories and tales of heroes that showed their true beliefs and way of life. Ancient Hebrew believed in one God and had a book that they wrote to support their beliefs and values. It was their symbol of hope on how to live and do right in the eyes of Yahweh. Greeks believed that their gods were a special type of human where Hebrews believed that they were made in the image of god and that he was not even fathomable and that he was everywhere and in everything. Even with all their differences there is one thing they have in common that both cultures believed with all their hearts in their god(s).

The History of the Ashikaga Shogunate

The History of the Ashikaga Shogunate Between 1336 and 1573, the Ashikaga Shogunate ruled Japan. However, it was not a strong central governing force, and in fact, the Ashikaga Bakufu witnessed the rise of powerful daimyo all around the country. These regional lords reigned over their domains with very little interference or influence from the shogun in Kyoto.   The Beginning of Ashikaga Rule The first century of Ashikaga rule is distinguished by a flowering of culture and the arts, including Noh drama, as well as the popularization of Zen Buddhism. By the later Ashikaga period, Japan had descended into the chaos of the Sengoku period, with different daimyo battling one another for territory and power in a century-long civil war. The roots of Ashikaga power go back even before the Kamakura period (1185 - 1334), which preceded the Ashikaga shogunate. During the Kamakura era, Japan was ruled by a branch of the ancient Taira clan, which lost the Genpei War (1180 - 1185) to the Minamoto clan, but managed to seize power anyway. The Ashikaga, in turn, was a branch of the Minamoto clan. In 1336, Ashikaga Takauji overthrew the Kamakura shogunate, in effect defeating the Taira once more and returning the Minamoto to power. Ashikaga got his chance in large part thanks to Kublai Khan, the Mongol emperor who founded the Yuan Dynasty in China. Kublai Khans two invasions of Japan, in 1274 and 1281, did not succeed thanks to the miracle of the kamikaze, but they did significantly weaken the Kamakura shogunate. Public dissatisfaction with Kamakura rule gave the Ashikaga clan its chance to overthrow the shogun  and seize power.   In 1336, Ashikaga Takauji established his own shogunate in Kyoto. The Ashikaga Shogunate is also sometimes known as the Muromachi shogunate  because the shoguns palace was in the Muromachi district of Kyoto. From the start, Ashikaga rule was bedeviled by controversy. A disagreement with the Emperor, Go-Daigo, about who would actually have power, led to the emperor being deposed in favor of the Emperor Komyo. Go-Daigo fled south and set up his own rival imperial court. The period between 1336 and 1392 is known as the Northern and Southern Courts era  because Japan had two emperors at the same time. In terms of international relations, the Ashikaga shoguns sent frequent diplomatic and trade missions to Joseon Korea, and also used the daimyo of Tsushima Island as an intermediary. Ashikaga letters were addressed to the king of Korea from the king of Japan, indicating an equal relationship. Japan also carried on an active trade relationship with Ming China, once the Mongol Yuan Dynasty was overthrown in 1368. Chinas Confucian distaste for trade dictated that they disguise the trade as tribute coming from Japan, in exchange for gifts from the Chinese emperor. Both Ashikaga Japan and Joseon Korea established this tributary relationship with Ming China. Japan also traded with Southeast Asia, sending copper, swords, and furs in exchange for exotic woods and spices. The Ashikaga Dynasty Overthrown At home, however, the Ashikaga shoguns were weak.  The clan did not have a large home domain of its own, so it lacked the wealth and power of the Kamakura or the later Tokugawa shoguns. The lasting influence of the Ashikaga era is in the arts and culture of Japan.   During this period, the samurai class enthusiastically embraced Zen Buddhism, which had been imported from China as early as the seventh century. The military elites developed an entire aesthetic based on Zen ideas about beauty, nature, simplicity, and utility. Arts including the tea ceremony, painting, garden design, architecture and interior design, floral arranging, poetry, and Noh theater all developed along Zen lines.   In 1467, the decade-long Onin War broke out. It soon escalated into a nation-wide civil war, with various daimyo fighting for the privilege of naming the next heir to the Ashikaga shogunal throne. Japan erupted into factional fighting; the imperial and shogunal capital of Kyoto burned. The Onin War marked the beginning of the Sengoku, a 100-year period of continual civil war and turmoil. The Ashikaga nominally held onto power until 1573, when warlord Oda Nobunaga overthrew the last shogun, Ashikaga Yoshiaki.  However, Ashikaga power really ended with the start of the Onin War.

Comparing & Contrasting Authorities Essay Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 1000 words

Comparing & Contrasting Authorities - Essay Example The "Boy with a Pipe" has been one of the most 'talked about' & heavily debated works of art between late 2004 & 2005. This has been the case owing to the fact that this particular painting holds the world record of being the most expensive painting ever to have been sold through an auction at a staggering price of $104.2 million (US dollars). The authors of these three articles have expressed their opinion on the pricing of this specific piece of art and have done so by citing & comparing the painting with other pieces of art that command similar attention in the art world. My argument on this particular discussion is that the price of an art piece is not in direct relation to the quality and fame attached to it. I have chosen the first article because I find it to be a fair report of the incident. It simply reports the price of the painting (Boy with a Pipe) and provides an insight into the brief history of artwork being sold through auctions. In the second article, the author strongly concludes that the society is spending money crazily in an effort to buy these pieces of artwork and investing money into this domain right from the beginning. In fact, the author for this second article has included as many as twelve quotes from professionals of artwork in an effort to provide support to his point of view. It is evident that the author is obviously trying hard to influence his audiences in an effort to make them agree with his point of view that stresses that there is a major trend that the society is now investing in arts for money. I have found myself to have a sense of understanding with the author of the third article and in fact, this is what my argument has really been about. My opinion is that the price of an artwork is very dependent on the nature of the buyer. After all, a piece of art will remain a piece of art no matter whether a person likes a piece of art and would like to keep it to him/herself. If a person is rich and can afford to pay millions of dollars in order to buy it, then one could say that's how much it's worth. The hard truth is that a person who really appreciates art would not consider as an avenue of investment. In Sotheby's, the author compares the price of the Picasso painting with the most expensive piece of artwork by Van Gogh. He has simply reported this as a piece of fact. The story from Investment News has mentioned about the staggering price of the Picasso painting. The author has an opinion that it seems to be a trend among people, especially the rich, who regard works of

Multiyear Plans and Analysis Essay Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 750 words

Multiyear Plans and Analysis - Essay Example We analyze data as revealed by the City of Charlottesville 2009, 2010 Financial Ratios and also carry out ratio analysis that helps us discover more information about the business (Gibson, 2012). We compare the City of Charlottesville’s 2009 and 2010 performance using relevant ratios. Liquidity measures, or short-term solvency measures -measure the ability of the city to meet its short-term debt obligations. These ratios majorly focus on current assets and current liabilities (Denise, 2013). The current ratio shows how many times the current liabilities are included with the current assets. Higher ratios are recommended. The city retained its current rate for the two years under study. The ratios are above one which is a good indication of the city’s ability to pay its short-term obligation. The working capital is the difference between a company’s current assets and its current liabilities. A higher amount is required as it shows the excess of assets after accounting for all liabilities. The city’s performance in 2010 is hence more preferred as compared to that of 2009. Long term solvency measures the city’s ability to meet its long-term debt obligations. Debt ratio indicates the ratio of total liabilities to total assets. A lower percentage is more preferred (Denise, 2013). In 2009, 39% of every dollar of the city’s asset was debt while the ratio was 38% in 2010. 2010 is hence more preferable to 2009. The profit margin indicates that the city is not generating income. Its expenditure is higher than its income. From a dollar in revenue the city is making 11 cents loss. The city’s management is hence not useful in converting the available assets into sales. They should hence come up with new policies of raising revenue that will help the adequately meet their expenses. Days payable ratio are the number of days it takes a city to pay their creditors. The longer the period, the better

Marketing Management Essay Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 2000 words

Marketing Management - Essay Example A primary marketing research is needed. What does the customer want, what kind of product, which price is he willing to pay for the particular product and how is this particular customer group going to be approached. Who is the customer, what are his habits, what kind of media does he watch. Why should the customer prefer our business instead of the competitor's. How does s/he like to be served. The answers of these questions will provide the company with valuable info which will help it to gain sustainable competitive advantage. The business London Bites (a takeaway sandwich and snacks shop) is not an innovative one, it does not sell anything exceptional so the customers will not come to it without some efforts from the business side. It also works in a market which is at the maturity stage of the life cycle i.e. competition is intense and there is a strong need for differentiation. This differentiation can be achieved through customer focus. The steps needed to be done for the customer focus are the following: customer research, the information of the research will help to develop the product range and finally customer satisfaction is checked and corrective actions will be taken. Due to its nature, London Bites can go even further and adapt the personal marketing orientation approach i.e. ... Ancillary services like food home delivery should be offered. Due to its nature, London Bites can go even further and adapt the personal marketing orientation approach i.e. the product offerings will be designed for individual customers e.g. offering a wide range of sandwiches that could be prepared in front of the customer based on his/her own preferences. 2. How market segmentation can help this business to operate more effectively Market segmentation is when we divide the market into smaller groups. This is done because all people in the market are not the same. These smaller groups we call them segments. People of each segment are similar to each other i.e. in their preferences, attitudes etc. Due to these similarities it is believed that people will respond the same way to a particular marketing strategy (4Ps). A segmentation in order to be successful it require the segment to be homogeneous and the different segments should heterogeneous among them. The segments have to be stable, measurable, identifiable, accessible and actionable. The segments should also be large and profitable. The variables used for segmentation are the following: geographic (region, climate etc.), demographic (age, gender income, socioeconomic status etc.), psychographic (life-style, personality etc.) and behavioral (benefit sought, product usage rate, brand loyalty etc.) When we combine numerous variables in order to understand in-depth a market segment this is what we call depth segmentation. Market segmentation helps the business understands customers better and therefore target the most profitable and the easier for the business to serve and position the products accordingly. This way i.e. by selecting careful the customers, know their preferences and address to

Public Spaces in Urban Developments

Public Spaces in Urban Developments Introduction In todays cities, designers are faced with the collective creation of a unified framework for new development, outdoor environmental challengers. Designers contribution is often to become after the fact, beauty treatment and abuse of patients is to create spaces for public using plan in the first place. In the urban development process as usual landscape located in an isolated object, rather than as streets, squares, large part of the building structure, and possible open space. (Roger Trancik,1986) Therefore, how to set up the space in most environments today was the important issue. Spoiling the city Guggenheim Museum Bilbao Bilbao, Spain It is one of the worlds most famous buildings; which is an attractive and impressive architectural works in many ways. Unfortunately, as a public space, it is very successful and even dangerous. Spectacular beauty and sculpture building, Bilbao Guggenheim Museum, monumentally for successful as a landmark building efforts, and also has attracted peoples attention on Bilbao city. However, the project has failed as a public space, missing an important opportunity to celebrate and support the cultural and community life that will pulsate throughout of the city. Highlight the center of Bilbao which located near the waterfront, the building disrupted city life, as an insult to a pedestrian who is willing to use anything more than other building gawking at this place. Frank Gehry, the architect who designed the museum, seem to fear that support, or even acknowledged that human activity and the surrounding buildings. The museum is likely to bring people to Bilbao, but it is only reduced the civic and cultural life, that is making people proud to have their life in cities. In addition, as a successful investment in the construction symbol, it limits the role of the architecture is just the icon. It received attention, the building overlooked the river, giving its prominent, and it ignores the large public places, whether it is comfortable, worst of all, it ignores the city, it is just to attract draw attention. Walking through Bilbao, the building make distraction from the most dynamic public space in Europe, that is the kind of some of the interference in community life. While the landmarks of power have been broadcast around the world, it can easily be interpreted as a human activity and civic life in attacks. Although Bilbao as a city could be close to the height of civilization, and Frank Gehrys is the status of an icon as a beacon of urban services, it is also a public space, that is a considerable diversion of civilization, should be suppose to celebrated. Architecture emerged to become a great success way that is able to reflect and support the building of civilization, culture and respect for the purpose of professional features. Gehrys building seems to fail in all these areas, thus causing great damage to Bilbao, and to the construction industry. The great buildings and major public places should be go hand and hand, but unfortunately, they rarely do so. The Guggenheim in Bilbaos arrogance and it indicates that the design and development approach is an insult to public places everywhere. Around this building, public space is a void in the civic life of great city. It can be said that this building has brought attention to Bilbao, but in this attention has been distracted, or at best a short-term high-sugar, for a city with some of Europes best public places in many ways. As the Museum not only just ignores the context, but also enhances the distance and hides Bilbao rich cultural and social life, it is a citys net loss. Canary Wharf London, UK There are many hidden views by outdoor public space and a maze of underground shops. While I came to this area, I feel even more disappointed than I expected. They have four outdoor public places and the numbers of shops in the underground like the labyrinth which hidden views in fact, it is difficult to find. All people in a public place are full of the car. Clearly, They argued that the public space or not; they think it is a car show, is to attract them to be more active. This has a very large scale in office park with complex rivals. It is complex case with the failure result for each. The bottoms of the buildings are excessive stark, empty, or conceal with columns to hide those use-things may try to contact in any purpose. Even if you stand back of the columns or arcades, and you get some good retail or a good entrance, the result is still grim, and not attractive. Any outside streets is uninteresting and not appealing. Some one would like to see a few more suitable characters to add, and some personality areas. Clearly, there has a very limited set of clientele who want to attract. Contrast to either Battery Park City or Rockefeller Center, it is so confused to mark Canary Wharf, is so far off the mark. Some one has thought as Winston Churchill, we are shaping our building, and then they are shaping us pretty scary! It is not easy to have a view connection. How do you think this element will enhance people community. It is obviously a car show. There are the tall buildings, cars surrounding the people who need a public space. Evaluation on Public Space In research for the public space, it is not hard to find, there are four qualities of success, and those decided it does work or not: accessible, activities, comfortable and community. Access Linkages You can determine whether it has convenience connections to a place or its surrounding areas, including visual and physical. A successful public space is easy to find and get through; it is visible in terms of short distance. The edges of a space key are also significant: for example, shops sit along a street will be more interesting and generally safer than walking in a blank wall. There is convenient public transport, if accessible spaces have a high parking turnover. Pioneer Courthouse Square, Portland Pioneer Courthouse Square, was known as the Portlands living room, as a public space in reference to enhance this place to gather in and use of citizens. These modern designs, including public art, recreational facilities, flowers, trees, and walls and sitting area were designed. This is a frequently occurring on-site, and includes a coffee shop, food suppliers, and information Center for Tri-Met (regional Portlands transit agency), which is the square key factor in the success of the redevelopment. From doubleduty the seating areas by integrate public art, flowers, trees, walls and ample stairs. This is the activities event of the site that used frequently, from enhanced a coffee shop and food vendors, and also as buses and light rail service in the center. Pioneer Courthouse Square is one of the first new regeneration of public spaces. It is no longer as a passive green space, and it designed for the square programming and supposed to use by public. In fact, for such the using infrastructure is built-in, but they are responsible for the management of space entities to ensure that there continued effective use. Pioneer Square, Law Courts Building, the process of creation the public debates, fund-raising, the grand opening ceremony were designed to support residents, which related to the Polish population. Funding and three visual connections were from Tri-Met contacted People with the square and city center as a whole. With an effective management organization, the square has become the citys pride place and the focus of a variety of community activities. Proved that the revitalization of downtown Portland square on the far-reaching impact livability. All kinds of the facilities support the each aspect of public space to community with people. Comfort Image Whether it is a comfortable space to have a good image, is the key to success. Comfort is including the safe aspect, cleanliness and the availability of places to sit let the people choose what they want to sit; most people have underestimated the importance of. In particular, women have the good judges on comfort and a good image for their more discrimination. Luxembourg Gardens, Paris, France Luxembourg Gardens is probably one of the most successful parks in the world, because so well in the fabric surrounding the city, which makes it has convenient integration. There are many things to do, where people who use it: children, the elderly people, the Sorbonne University students, widely shown that the people throughout the lunch break, and so on. People go to walk, play chess, sit down to read, people watching, sitting in a cafe or to bring their children or grandchildren woman to one of the childrens many attractions. Events happen in the park, including tennis, riding pony, puppet theatres, toy boat (child floating in their them by central fountain). Visitors also can stop within the Palace, and attended by the French Senate, which is a public open. The park also organized, such as aerial photographs, that from around the world in plastic wrap, and also hold innovative exhibitions and shows around the garden; a large wooden platform displayed the map which including photo website, providing people with slippers who wants to walk on it many of the same. Uses Activities Activity is an essential component of a place. Something to deal with, it need to gives people a reason to place and return. When there is anything we can do, a space will be empty, and usually means what is wrong. Kungstradgarden, Stockholm, Sweden Kungstradgarden is in the heart of the city, owed a little past incarnation from the royal family kitchen gardens to lush parks to drill the troops on the ground. The 1953 became the birthday celebrations of Stockholms 700-year-old site, and the central part of the management has been continuous since then, as a flexible event and performance space. It has also been the Swedish premiere of the stage: In 1953, the first hot dog has been served there, and Piccolino introduced coffee and coffee in this Kings Garden, to the delight of Swedish palates. In 1962, the first artificial ice frozen skating-rink is completed in the park, and the first outdoors chess set and placed that began in the seventies. It is the flourish status in Kungstradgarde, as its management capacity to adapt such seasonal use of a wide range of public spaces. One of the main elements in the Kungstradgarden is a large tent covering major stages in the warm terms, where they perform almost every day. Totally, it has nearly 150 stages happen each year. In addition to 100-150 days of exhibitions, a Christmas market in December over the weekend, as well as a host of other activities. There are trees in the courtyard and on both street-sides of restaurants. A steps to the sunken fountain is located in front of a restaurant, garden center is equipped with a large circular plaza, a winter skating rink. While there are some warm-weather activities such as chess, varieties of checkers, table tennis, in a small red cottage for which the equipment was is available occur to the extent of these activities. The garden was redesigned in 1998, although before there was the same like this moment in the world in terms of flexibility, the resulting layout is more rigid, so that many of these activities no longer possible. In addition, there is a demonstration playground provided for childrens playing. In all, however, Kungstradgarden is remain its popular, wonderful urban centers in the core of a well-ventilated place and compared with the most other places, it still has a wealth of events, activities and performances, each season, sponsored by local businesses and organizations, it is impressive. Sociability This is a difficult place to achieve quality, but once achieved it becomes a clear and unequivocal function. When people see friends, dating, meet their neighbors, should feel comfortable interaction with strangers, they tend to feel that attachment to the place or a sense of belonging in their communities and local promotion of these types of social activities. Jackson Square, New Orleans, LA This is the central square in New Orleans French Quarter is significant exquisite layout, with three park facing lush trees, flowers and approach in full of historical buildings. Outside the park, in addition to the establishment of the fence from the elegant, bustling with musicians, artists, suppliers, fluctuations in the activities of pedestrian access, and street performances. From the adjacent street is similarly impressive, highlighting the principle, we in the Spirit often described as reaching out like an octopus. When you are closer and closer to capture the views of an attractive square, street-level experience in change more interesting and look forward to is how to grasp the true power of you. Jackson Square is the number of sacred places in a particular city. This sacred place should be the cornerstone of the rebirth of New Orleans. If each community can renew the focus on the central public places such as Jackson Square itself, the city may be powerful hurricanes than ever before. Reference http://www.pps.org/

Anarchy: Political Ideals To A Symbol Of Unconformity :: essays research papers fc

Anarchy: Political Ideals To A Symbol Of Uncoformity â€Å"Anarchism, then really stands for the liberation of human mind from the domination of religion, The liberation of the human body from the domination of property, Liberation from the shackles and restraints of government†#-Emma Golman. During the late 1800’s urbanization began to inflict the cities and the industrial revolution began resulting in governments gaining more and more power. â€Å"The state is authority; its force†#-Mikhail Bakunin. As the governments grew it was believed the state was more concerned with its growing power rather than the interests of the people. A group known as the anarchist believed that the government should be abolished and then the people would be free to live co-operatively with full social and political. Anarchy began as a political philosophy and soon turned in to an all out revolution resulting in assignations, bombings and kidnappings spanning over the better part of the past century. During the 1970’s and 1980à ¢â‚¬â„¢s, anarchy started to become more of a fashion trend if you will, rather than a political philosophy. â€Å"I Wanna Be Anarchy†-Sex Pistols. The Punk movement in music during the late 70’s was first to wide spread expose the public to anarchy and anarchist ideals. Followers of punk and punk music usually didn’t have the tendency to look of the proper meaning of anarchy, but since Johnny Rotten was saying it, it was cool. Today if you take a look at the public wither you are in a public school or a shopping mall, you can see teenagers with anarchy symbols on their shirts, pants, back packs and even drawn on their sneakers in an attempt to look what the public calls â€Å"hardcore†. â€Å"Anarchism is the sprit of the youth against out worn traditions†-Mikhail Bakunin, this would prove to be all too true in this new era of â€Å"anarchism†. This paper will further outline how anarchy started out as a political philosophy and turned in t o a symbol of unconformity.   Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Anarchism can be defined as a political philosophy and social movement designed to destroy the government in hopes of creating a society based on voluntary co-operation of free individuals. In 1840 Pierre-Joseph Proudhon, a peaceful anarchist, published his controversial pamphlet titled â€Å"What Is Property†. Proudhon clamed that violence and crime was not caused by individuals but instead by the government. He believed that police and laws forced humans to live in an unnatural state of oppression and equality, according to Proudhon the ownership of property was the main root of all equality.

Does Homework Help or Hinder Academic Success Essay

The debate about homework has been going on for a long time. Some say too much homework is bad, but there are different views. There are some people that believe that there is a minimal relationship between homework and if it helps or hinder academic success. A little amount of homework is said to be linked to better school results as well. Homework may also have a small effect on how a student does in school on a test. Homework may hinder academic success due to lack of sleep, stress, and no fun in between work, but at least 2 hours may prove to be beneficial to healthy homework habits. There are two sides to this debate, one side that says that too much homework hinders academic success and the other saying that it doesn’t affect it at all. Too much homework takes away free time for children. Once children get home, depending on how much homework they get, they have to work on all their homework. For example, children need time to themselves to play and just have fun not do work all the time. Jessica Lahey the author of the article â€Å"I Hate Homework. I Assign It Anyway. † states, â€Å"Children need time to themselves to play, read and imagine. † (Page 2). This displays that there are some people who do agree with the fact that kids should have fun and play. They shouldn’t be bombarded with homework. Children should also be able to spend time with their family. Yes, they do see their parents’ everyday but they do not really get to spend time with them because of all the homework given to them. The article, â€Å"Homework’s Diminishing Returns† by Harris Cooper states, â€Å"Opponents of homework counter that it can also have negative effects like increasing boredom with schoolwork and reducing the time students have to spend on leisure activities that teach important life skills. † (Page 2). Spending time with their parents’ can help them and their children bond together and learn life lessons together. Overall, playing and having fun can really make a child happy instead of being upset about homework. It raises their morale and he or she will become much happier knowing that there can be breaks for fun from time to time. This can affect academic success positively because children will become more content with how things are doing that they won’t mind the little amount of homework as long as they can have a little fun still. Homework can also cause stress as well. At a young age a child should not be stressed. In other words, children could just become tired and tired of staying up all night doing homework. Jessica Lahey, the author of â€Å"I Hate Homework. I Assign It Anyway. † says â€Å"In her film, Ms. Abeles claims that today’s untenable and increasing homework load drives students to cheating, mental illness and suicide. † (Page 1). Children should not have to think about things like this because choices like that can affect their whole life. This will make them do anything to try and get homework out of the way. The stress factor is very large with children dealing with homework and this may cause even students from top schools to become frustrated. Jessica Lahey states in her article, â€Å"Even elite private schools in New York City are vowing to lighten their homework load. † (Page 1). This is very important to note because elite schools are obviously expected to give a lot of homework. If they’re willing to lower their homework then that must mean that even top students probably feel that all that homework is too much for them. The bottom line is that homework can cause children to make bad decisions and create more problems than what they seem to have. It may also hinder academic success because the bad decisions, if made, can cause that child to have too much on his or her mind to even pay attention to how well they’re doing in school. Although, there are bad sides to homework, there is also a good side of it. Two hours of homework can prove to be beneficial towards a child’s academic success. Harris Cooper states in his article, â€Å"Homework’s Diminishing Returns†, â€Å"A little amount of homework may help elementary school students build study habits and learn skills developed through practice. † (Page 1). This showcases that there is a good side to homework. This doesn’t necessarily mean that homework should be taken away completely, but it means that some homework is good for students. Creating study habits by doing some homework can help a student’s academic success because this will help them with future assignments and so he or she can remember what they learn. Some children also seem to like having an ample amount of homework as it doesn’t cause too much stress. Harris Cooper also writes, â€Å"All children can benefit from homework but it is a very rare child who will benefit from hours and hours of homework. (Page 2). This proves that only very few children can really have something to say about how many hours of homework allow them to improve on what they have done in school. While a couple of hours of homework can prove to help academic success positively, too much of it may be moving more towards the negative side. Homework can hinder academic success stress and no fun in between work, but at least 2 hours may prove to be beneficial to healthy homework habits. This shows that there are both sides of the argument shown. There can be less time to have fun, spend time with family; it can cause problems for students as well. Although there are many actions being done based on opinions, this debate still goes on and there may not be a solution at all. Many people have different beliefs on homework and what should be done about it. It may continue on for a while and more questions may branch out from the main question: does the amount of homework determine if it helps or hinders a student’s academic success?

The Profitability of Slavery essays

The Profitability of Slavery essays When people think "slavery", they view it as the dehumanizing and degradation of the African race solely because of the color of their skin. People do not see that there were profits to be made with our African ancestors. In the eighteenth century, our ancestors were stripped of their name, and their culture, to become a forced employee to the American white man. They were brought from our motherland of Africa to be clean shaven and dipped in palm oil in order to present a more well groomed look for the "planters" interested in good slaves for their plantations. Taken from their homes and brought into a new social structure and a different dialect of culture, many slaves showed no signs of emotion from such treatment. Much stronger individual slaves maintained hope and long term prosperity. With the known proviso of only types of labor, numerous slaves could not handle this subjugation, and could not hide their feeling of pain and anguish especially, when families felt the depre ciation of their worth ; as slaves were exhibited to the buyers and presented like well groomed horses. These slaves were forced into what is considered free labor. They were not getting paid for their long days sweating, many times having "cotton picking" for dinner at night. Needless to say , this was not important- for the American planters trying to make a living. What is important is that the slaves are presentable for the bidder who wants the slaves for his plantation so he can make profit. Most importantly, these slaves were to be presented like they had the ability to handle what was about to be their taste of "hard work, no pay". William Wells Brown explains:" Before exhibited for sale, they were dressed and driven out in to the yard. Some were set to jumping some singing and some playing cards. This was done to make them cheerful and happy,.... and I would set them to dancing when their cheeks were wet with tears." Contrary to the Caucasia...

Workplace Motivation

Workplace Motivation There are many different techniques that can be used in order to reward employees for a job well done. It is crucial for businesses to analyze these different methods and implement the ones that work best for them. There are many practices that a company may choose to utilize in order to motivate its team. There are extrinsic and intrinsic rewards, positive and negative motivators, as well as differentiating between individual and team or group rewards. The purpose of this paper is to examine the different methods of motivation as an attempt to find the one(s) that are most appealing to employers, individuals, and/or teams.What is the most influential way to reward workers? This is a critical question that has been pondered by many companies and employers, in which there has not yet been a definitive answer. Managers evoke various processes in order to induce the most superlative results for their company's welfare.English: Motivational SayingThe manager is propagating feelings of tr ust and confidence into the individual, thus encouraging them to accomplish more in order to increase productivity. My boss has always allowed me to not only complete my tasks without hassle but has also continued to provide me with the tools to expand my career knowledge in an effort to expand my abilities. Providing an effective rewards system is important because rewards do not always serve as a positive outcome. These rewards need to possess the ability to satisfy all employees, comparable to those offered by competitive organizations, distributed fairly and equally, and a range of incentives. With the failing economy, the organization for which I work has cut down its efforts in regard...

The role of A&E physicians in health promotion with regards to Essay

The role of A&E physicians in health promotion with regards to alcohol-related problems - Essay Example Introduction: Alcohol use disorders are common conditions in clinical practice in the Accident and Emergency. It has been said that the average alcohol-dependent person decreases his or her life span by 10 to 15 years, and alcohol contributes to 22,000 deaths and 2 million nonfatal injuries each year. Of them, not infrequently, the initial encounters of many of these patients occur as presentations in the Accident and Emergency. Recent years have witnessed a blossoming of clinically relevant research regarding alcohol abuse and dependence, including information on specific genetic influences, the clinical course of these conditions, and the development of new and helpful treatments. There are many health effects that can occur with both acute and long-term or chronic use of alcohol in both males and females due to pathologic changes it can induce in several organ systems that can be permanent and irreversible. Moreover, long-term, escalating levels of alcohol intake on a habitual bas is can predispose to tolerance as well as an intense adaptation of the body to a conditioned state induced by alcohol that cessation of use can lead to a withdrawal syndrome that is usually marked by insomnia, hyperactivity of the autonomic nervous system, and feelings of intense anxiety (Department of Health, 2004, 1-6). Epidemiologic evidence suggests that the problem with alcoholism lack the stereotypical features of other substance abuse disorders mainly due to the fact that alcohol drink is considered a socially acceptable beverage, although society does not accept the excess and abuse. That which starts as a social norm may eventually turn out to be an addictive behaviour. Psychiatric manifestations apart, a history of alcoholism provides the explanation of many other health conditions that a physician may come across, more so in the Accident and Emergency, and from that point of view, awareness that

Financial Markets - Raising Capital Essay Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 3000 words

Financial Markets - Raising Capital - Essay Example In fact the financing decisions form an integral part of a firm’s policy decisions. Usually, the financial managers prefer debt over equity on account of interest tax deductibility and low cost associated with debt. Mr Exposito plans to raise funds for the purpose of expanding his winery business. A careful analysis of the various sources of funding has been done to suggest the best available alternative based on the size of the winery business and the prevailing conditions in the market. Analysis of capital instruments There are two forms of financing - long term and short term. The long term financing instruments include debentures, bonds, term loans & shares and the short term debt instruments include bank overdraft & trade credit. Bonds- A bond is a long-dated financial instrument used by the companies to raise funds from the public. The bondholders are entitled to regular interest in the form of coupon payments. Normally, the bond is listed in the stock exchange. It has a fixed date of maturity which is the date at which the company agrees to pay back the principal amount to the holder of the instrument. The issue of a bond creates a legal binding on the company. Even in the event of a loss the company cannot dishonour the interest payments as this can have legal repercussions. The companies mostly issue fixed coupons bonds offering semi-annual payments until the date of maturity. There may be other types of bonds like fluctuating coupon bonds or bonds with an annual or quarterly payment feature. Besides there are zero coupon bonds that do not require any interest payments. The bonds can further be classified on the basis of the collateral as mortgage bonds, collateral trust bonds and equipment trust certificates. The real property is used as collateral in the case of mortgage bonds. The securities owned by the corporate act as a security for the collateral trust bonds whereas the inventories and company equipments act as security for equipment trus t certificates. The price of the bond is inversely proportional to the interest rate. A rise in the interest rate can lower the price of the bonds and vice versa. Considering the interest rate sensitivity the bonds can be of two types- callable and non callable bonds. If after a bond issue the interest rates fall in the market then the corporate can call back the bonds issued at a higher interest rate and issue new bonds at a lower rate of interest (Rini, 2002, p.57). Debentures- The features of debentures are more or less similar to that of bonds except that unlike bonds the debentures carry a pre-determined rate of interest. Depending on ‘security’ the debentures can be classified as secured and unsecured. Secured debentures carry a charge on the company assets. The company cannot dispose-off these assets without the approval of the debenture holders. The unsecured debentures do not carry any such charge on the asset which makes it risky from the point of view of the investors. Again the debentures can be classified as per ‘convertibility’ into convertible and non-convertible debentures. The former gets converted into equity after a specified time period. Therefore in the future the debenture holders get an option to acquire a stake in the company. The non-convertible debentures are repaid at the end of the maturity and cannot be converted into equity. Depending on the ‘payment pattern’ the debentures c

Psychology Laboratory Report Essay Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 1500 words

Psychology Laboratory Report - Essay Example Perceptions of body image are of research concern for psychopathologies such as anorexia nervosa and bulimia, amongst both women and men (Fallon & Rozin, 2985). Body-image can be defined as a person's self-concept of their physical appearance (Strickland, 2004). Investigation of the sociocultural differences between genders in body image perception is increasing (Fallon & Rozin, 2985). Fallon and Rozin (1985) report that women tend to weigh themselves more often, are more likely to consider themselves as fat, are more likely to be on a diet, and tend to seek medical assistance with weight issues more frequently, as compared to men. These results, state Fallon and Rozin, may be related to women on average being less satisfied with their appearance than men. Further, studies appear to indicate body image perception in general for women and men is focused on issues of weight (Fallon & Rozin, 1985). Fallon and Rozin cite a study by Gray in 1977 that found women were more likely to consid er themselves overweight as compared to objective measurements, whereas men were likely to perceive themselves as underweight. Gray concluded that across the genders participants misperceived their weight when compared to their own gender, and make judgments about their weight based on standards that do not incorporate the health model (Fallon & Rozin, 1985). An example of such a standard is the perceptions of the ideal body image as judged by the opposite gender (Fallon & Rozin, 1985).Later research supports conclusions that many people experience a discrepancy between their perceptions of an ideal body image and their actual body image (Byrne & Hills, 1996). Sociocultural influences on perceptions of body image may be attributed to media portrayals of the ideal body within a western industrial nation (Fallon & Rozin, 1985). Traditionally targeted at the female form, media portrayals of a body ideal now extend to both women and men (Yang, Gray & Pope, 2005). Fallon and Rozin (1985) found that on average men tended to rate their current, ideal and attractive body-image as very similar. Whereas, women's ideal image tended to weigh less, than both current and attractive ratings. Fallon and Rozin highlighted in their results that perceptions of what the opposite sex consider an ideal body-image are usually wrong. They found that women considered men to desire a slimmer female form as compared to what men reported they liked, and men perceived women to be attracted to a heavier male form than what women reported.Studies have investigated methods to quantify the difference between an individual's perception of ideal and actual body image as a measure of body-image disturbance (Byrne & Hill, 1996). Importantly, it is necessary that such instruments be standardized for the populations they are used for, for example females and males, or differences in age or ethnicity (Byrne & hill, 1996). The Stunkard Body Shape Figure Scale (Stunkard et al., 1980 as cited in Strick land, 2004) is one such scale. The patterns of ranking perceived ideal and actual body image have provided insight into how females or males as a group differ amongst themselves, as well as in

Traffic Accident Essay Example for Free

Traffic Accident Essay It is believed that the number of the people who have died in trafficaccidents is much higher than that of the people who have died of cancer or any other disease. In Ho Chi Minh City, the problem of traffic accidents is really serious. The following measures should be taken to reduce the seriousness/to minimize the consequences of this problem. Firstly, the system of the main streets in Ho Chi Minh City must be improved or upgraded. It is awful to move along the streets of Ho chi Minh City because most of them are in bad condition and some are full of holes, either big or small. In addition, during the rainy season many streets are flooded with water after a heavy rain. If we are not careful enough, we easily hit other people or fall off our bike or motorbike. Secondly, law-breaking and drunken riders/drivers should be punished strictly. These law-breaking and drunken riders/drivers are the â€Å"devils† of the streets: they operate their motor vehicles at a high speed and sway from one side/curb of the street to the other whenever they feel excited. There is no doubt that one of the main reasons of serious traffic accidents is the riders’ or drivers’ carelessness and lack of self-control. Last but not least, calling for every citizen’s obeying traffic laws is crucial. The cit dwellers’ awareness of the necessity to obey traffic law is quite low; consequently, they travel along the streets without paying close attention to traffic lights and other signals. Quite often, motor-cyclists occupy the lanes for cars and other four-wheel motor vehicles while taxi drivers speed up, forcing the riders/drivers of other vehicles to give way to them. It takes a lot of time and energy to draw the attention of anyone who does travel along the streets in Ho Chi Minh City to the well-established traffic laws here in particular and to make each of the city dwellers a law-abiding citizen in general. But it is worth it!

Tree Conservation Essay :: essays research papers

Trees the Most Valuable Resource on Earth Today  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚     Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Forests are one of the most valuable resources on the planet today. Without forests it would be almost impossible for any living thing to survive. But, with this in mind many people destroy forests. It is as though they don’t even care that they are dooming themselves as well as the trees. Hopefully through this article I can help save the forest and help human kind, as well as all other organisms, by telling how important the forest is and how it functions. What is a Forest?   Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  A forest is more than just a bunch of trees growing next to each other. A forest is a very complex system of animals and plants, living in and on fertile and suitable soil. Forests are divided up into five different levels or layers. These levels are the canopy, herb, shrub, understory, and the forest floor. The canopy layer is the top layer. This is where photosynthesis takes place and it’s also where the leafy tops of the trees are. This layer is home to a variety of insects and squirrels. The next layer is the understory. This is made up of smaller trees and is home to birds and climbing animals. The third layer is known as the shrub layer. It is made up of shrubs and vines. It also provides nuts and berries. The next layer is the herb layer. This layer is made up of soft green plants and wildflowers. Birds, insects, snakes, and toads also nest there. The last and final layer is the forest floor. This is the thick fertile soil covered by twigs, branches, insects and detritus. Why are Trees Important?   Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Trees are major erosion blockers. Their leaves intercept rain and lower the force of impact the water has on the ground. Each tiny rain drop is like a miniature bomb. It splatters and washes dirt away with it. Tree roots also hold in soil and keep it from washing away. People plant trees on mountain slopes and other similar places to prevent mud slides. This aspect makes trees a very valuable resource.   Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Healthy forests serve as wonderful habitats. It provides clean water, food, shelter, and the space that living organisms need to survive. Different animals need different habitats. The forest gives them this with a variety of places to live. All though some live on the ground, most of them live in trees.

Product Level Planning

Table of Contents Executive Summary 2 Market analysis 3 SWOT Analysis 4-7 Objectives 7 Marketing Strategy 8 Action Program 9 Financial Projection 10 Feedback & Control 10 Conclusion 11 References 11 Executive Summery Cement Industry is highly important segment of Bangladesh’s Industrial sector & Plays a vital role in socio-economic development.Although cement industry of Bangladesh has witnessed its ups & down in recent past but in last decade it has recovered & now it’s a self-sufficient industry of Bangladesh not only fulfilling domestic needs of Bangladesh also exporting a huge amount of cement to other countries, bringing foreign reserves & help in up lifting Bangladesh’s GDP. Bangladesh is currently operating at their maximum capacity due to the boom in commercial & industrial construction within Bangladesh.In this report I have selected ‘Anchor' cement, Olympic Cement Ltd (OCL) of ‘Khansons Group’ simply called gray cement & we will descr ibe how they do product planning for that? Khansons Group has extended its industrial arena by putting-up a clinker grinding cement plant named as ‘Olympic Cement Ltd'. The plant is located at Rupatoli, Barisal all in a row along with its textile industries. The finished product (cement) has been branded as ‘Anchor' & the same has become popular in the local market. This cement project commenced its initial production at 800 tpd and gradually increased the production to the level of 1,600 tpd.Olympic Cement Ltd (OCL) is one & only cement factory which has targeted to meet the entire demand of cement in Southern Bengal. As a result, OCL has concentrated its sales on a soaring trend by increasing production volume. OCL is maintaining the reputation of its quality product and aiming at the extended project in days to come. Current Market Situation Overall Market Situation Bangladesh cement industry is the 40th largest market in the world. There are 70+ cement factories in B angladesh and daily production capacity is 16. 687 Million MT.In January 2012, Bangladesh’s Export Promotion Bureau released data confirming that cement exports had witnessed a 21% increase in the first seven months of the current fiscal year (July 2011 – January 2012). The boost in the cement sector is because of the rising construction activity in the country & increasing development expenditure by the govt. Due to this the sales of cement sector will also rise every year. Product Situation Since Cement is a specialized product, requiring sophisticated infrastructure & production location, so, Most of the cement industries in Bangladesh are located near/within a river side that are rich in clay.Iron & mineral capacity so ‘Anchor’ cement is situated near to the bank of river ‘Kirton Khola’. Anchor cement installed capacity is 1,600 tpd at present with the turnover of 50 crore in a year. Competitive Situation: In competitive situation we will describe all the competitors of Anchor Cement producing gray cement. There are 70 + firms in the market along with Anchor Cement. All these companies are using different marketing tactics to grape as much market share as possible but they are acting like a cartel under the tree of APCMA.They are producing same quality of cement with all most same price and features that’s why competition in the market is very tough for local as well as foreign market. All are using same bulk & penetration strategies to cover major portion of the market. Some are using cost leadership strategy but due to cartel act behavior they are not getting the target results that they want to achieve. Currently Crown cement is the market leader while Anchor cement is a niche in the national market but it is the leader in the local market of Barisal & southern part of Bangladesh. Distribution Situation:Anchor Cement Company uses different channels of distributions to transfer the gray cement from company t o the different part of Bangladesh. †¢ACC > Whole Sellers > Retailor> Customer †¢ACC > Retailors> Customer †¢ACC > Customer †¢ACC > Regional Offices > w/s Retailors Macro-Environmental Situation Macro environmental factors directly or indirectly effect the production of the company & its market. Macro- Environmental factors are the factors that are not in the control of the company. These factors are†¦.. 1. Political 2. Law & order situation 3. Cultural values 4. Technological change . Demographic trends 6. Economic Condition 7. Inflation Opportunity & Issue Analysis After completing the market analysis now we will do analysis of opportunities & issues for the ACC. Opportunity is a chance of progress or advancement that is available in the market & the company has to avail it for the progress and profitability while issues are the weakness or threat for the company to avoid or settled down. For this purpose we have to do SWOT analysis of ACC. Strength of ACC Strengths are the internal positive factors of advantage that a company possesses. Following is the strength of ACC. Installed Capacity: Installed capacity of company is 16. 687 Million MT daily & they are producing 6007. 32 MT per annum so they can exceed the production easily by proper implementing their marketing mix strategies & it will directly increase profits of the company. oRaw Material: Anchor Cement Company is situated near the bank of the river kirtonkhola. So they can easily avail the huge reserve of raw materials with a very low cost as compare to other competitors’ as their cost of material is high. oHigh Quality of ACC: Quality of ACC is much better than the standard set by Bangladesh & importers.Quality of production is better than most of the competitors in the market. oCheap Labor: They are using cheap labor market of Bangladesh which is strength of them & due to this their price is low as compare to other compotators. oGood Govt. Policies: Local & federal govts. Policies are supportive & favorable to the cement sector. They are getting many benefits in term of electricity etc from BD govt. So over all ACC is enjoying good environment created by Government. Weakness of ACC Weaknesses are the internal negative factors of a company that should be avoided or to be controlled.Following are the negative factors of ACC. oNot Utilization of Full Capacity: ACC is not utilizing its full capacity of production of gray cement. They can produce more per annum so not utilizing their full capacity is also their disadvantage which they should convert it into opportunity. oFuel & Electricity Charges: ACC cost comprises more than 50% costs of fuel & electricity. So they should minimize these expenses as much as they can. It can really help them in uplifting their market share & growth & profit as well. They can convert their system or can generate their own electricity by investing in this sector. Management: ACC major boards of directors are from th e same family which is also a negative factor of them. So they should introduce competent personnel’s in the company for the growth. oFreight Charges: Freight or transportation charges to other parts of the country are also a problem for them which should be settled down as soon as possible. They should minimize their expenses to avail greater markets present in other parts of Bangladesh. Opportunities for ACC Opportunities are chances for progress or advancement that is available in the market and the company has to avail it for the progress and profitability.These are positive external factors. Following are the opportunities available for ACC. oGovernment Development Expenditure: Govt: is spending huge amount on development projects like roads, schools, hospitals, dams & infrastructure etc. ACC can avail these opportunities by responding on time to these projects. oConstruction of Big projects: Recently there are many big projects are going on Bangladesh like construction of Jamuna future park, many high rise buildings etc, also in nationwide & in Barisal.ACC should explore all these opportunities to increase its market share. oDemand of Bangladeshi Cement: Recently Bangladeshi cement demand is increasing day by day in foreign markets so ACC can improve its foreign market share. This will be very favorable & profitable for them. Threats for ACC Threats are the negative factors that are available in the external environments. These are unhidden threats that are waiting for & company should be ready or prepared to tickle down all these threats for their existence & survival. Following are the threats available for ACC. High Energy Prices: Energy prices are constantly increasing in Bangladesh & worldwide which is directly affecting the profitability of ACC because major portion of cost consists of fuel & energy expenses so they should find out alternative source of energy to minimize the cost of goods. oHigh level of Taxes & Custom duty: High level of c ost & custom duty are affecting its profitability. So govt. should take constructive steps for the development of the industries. oCompetitors: There are 70+ firms in cement industry which make the competition very tough.Each firm is striving to get as much share as they can and they are using different tactics to excel their sales. So, ACC should take proper steps for its growth while taking into consideration all the Competitors. oPolitical Instability: It is also a main threat for ACC because it brings changes in laws & regulation accordingly. Objectives After analyzing all the factors now we will set the objectives or targets we can say, for ACC that is going to be achieved in the next financial year of the company. Our objectives should be ? Specific ?Measurable ?Achievable ?Realistic ?Time bound There are 2 kinds of objectives which are: Financial Objectives †¢Marketing Objectives Financial Objectives: Financial objectives are related with the financial performance of the company or simply objectives that relate to finance. Following are the financial objectives that we can set for ACC for 2013. ?Profit after taxes should be 60 crore ?Cash flow should be 10% high Marketing Objectives Financial objectives should be convertible to marketing objectives. Marketing objectives are related to market or overall industry. Following are the marketing objectives of ACC. Sales should be 50% high Exports should be 40% Average price should be up to 450 pgSales of 5,00,000 tons should be achieved in 2013 Expand the number of dealers Market share should be up to 5% Marketing Strategies Strategies are the game plan or road map to achieve the objectives set by the company by utilizing its resources. Following are the marketing strategies that should be used: oNew Markets New markets in outside & inside of the country should be achieved. oDistribution outlets Distribution outlets or big distributors must be located in all the targeted markets. oAdvertisement 2% budget should be allocated for advertisement campaign on bill boards & certain media channel. Low pricing strategy Low pricing strategy should be adopted as compared to competitors. oAlliance Alliances should be made with distributors & realtors in important markets & preference should be given to them. oSales force Sale force or sales agents should also be hired in remote areas with 5-8% commission. oMarket Research 10% Budget should be allocated to market research to know competitors, customer behavior & new markets. oLower cost of goods strategy Cost of the cement should be low down to earn maximum profit Action Programs Marketing strategies should be supported with action programs or day to day plans.Each strategy should be broken down in to small programs or action that can easily be implemented. It tells us that which marketing strategy is to be completed by whom, when how & what will be the cost of that? ?Sales department have to do 25 crore sales after every 4 months. ?Production department have to produce 0. 25 million tons after every 4 months. ?Purchase department should purchase furnace oil & raw materials 5% less as compared to previous year. ?Management should reduce unproductive expenses @10% as compared to last year. ?Other incomes should be increased up to 10 crore as compared to last year. Marketing department should achieve their target within given budget on the basis of six months. Financial Projections †¢Following are the overall projection for year 2013. In millionsIncrease Sales500060% Cgs (Cost of goods sold)(3200)36% Gross Profit120080% Other Expenses18010% Other Income2040% Profit Before Taxes800 Taxes200 Net Profit60020% Feedback & Control In the last stage of product level planning we will consider does the company actually achieved its objectives or not. In this step we will compare the actual results with the standards set out there in the planning stage.According to the above results & figures ACC has achieved all the targets & g oals efficiently & effectively. They have properly implemented the planning as compared to previous year so they have achieved the level of performance what they want. Even more fruitful results have been achieved. Usually, Anchor Cement Company carries out three types of controlling strategies which are as under.. oAnnual Plan Control ACC usually do audit or check up at the end of year that whether that have achived their annual goals/objectives or not regarding sales, profits, market share & growth etc.They want to know the gap between actual & standard, if found any & then will fix it down in the upcoming period. If they have performed much better then they watch out the reasons behind that to implement forever in the organization. oAudit Control Internal Audit is carried out by the internal auditors. External Audit is carried out by external auditors. oStrategic Control Strategic Control is the step of the last section. In strategic control usually they evaluate whether the Anch or Cement Company marketing strategy is appropriate to the market condition or not.If not they do Changes in it to make implementable in the market. They change their strategy according to the market situation that changes so rapidly. Conclusion From the above analysis we can easily conclude that how a company usually does their product or marketing planning. I pick Anchor Cement Company collect data from different sources (mainly from web) & then make the palling for them accordingly. All the above discussion gives us a bird’s eye view regarding a good product planning that a marketer can do. References http://www. khansonsgroup. com www. scribd. com Marketing Management- Philip Kotler, 11th edition

Apple iPhone Essay

Japan to Apple iPhone â€Å"No Thanks† and Would Mickey Mouse Eat Shark Fin Soup these two case studies shows what happens when consumer behavior and marketing mix in globalization goes very wrong. These two studies reveal how marketer think they are giving a wonderful product and service in the case of Apple’s the iPhone and Disney the Shark’s Fin Soup. Understanding the consumer’s behavior and the customs and values of the culture impacted these two campaigns. Apologies good media press and changes in the strategy to get the approval of the consumers. Both case studies points out the impact of technology and how it at first affected the campaigns for bad with negative that changed the reputation of both companys. Apple’s dilemma was very embarrassing for the company with negative reports and predictions of how the iPhone was going to sell in Japan. The propaganda was already put out to the media about the Japanese saying No Thanks to Apple concerning the iPhone 3. Apple thought that Japan would be ecstatic with the new product but supposedly the opposite occurred with reports of weak showing of the iPhone3. Of course with Apple being the cutting edge in technology and innovation in the western world Japan did not feel the same way about Apple’s iPhone3. First Japan was a hard market to try to get into the for Apple and their competition Nokia, and Motorola, whose attempts to grab Japanese customers were futile. So this was going to be a difficult campaign for Apple. At the time Japan was hostile toward western brand including Nokia and Motorola which I thought were Japanese brands. What’s wrong with the iPhone, from a Japanese perspective? The high monthly data plans that go with it, its lack of features, the low-quality camera, the unfashionable design and the fact that it’s not Japanese. Besides cultural opposition, Japanese citizens possess high standards when it comes to cell phones. The country is famous for being ahead of its time when it comes to technology. Japanese consumer rather would use their own brand even if the feature is not used frequently. For example, Japanese handset users are extremely into video and photos .The iPhone had neither a video camera nor multimedia text messaging. A highlight feature enjoy on their handset is a TV tuner. Many consumers also used their cell phone as their only computer device and also as a TV. The monthly rates was considered to expense and many consumers did not want to pay the monthy bill. Apple had to make  decision because the consumer’s behavior was very different in Japan. The Japanese in the time of No Thanks were more communal than individualistic which a new trend with the younger generation is. They were not considered conspicuous consumption they way it is in western countries. The Japanese way of consumer behaving was inherited from Edo Period of history (each class had it own code) Brand shopping revealed two things about the Japanese consumer social status and quality of product. Japanese consumers are known for being demanding with products. The Japanese consumer shopped mostly in department stores but now this is changing with malls. The Japanese consumer is a cautious spender and that is why the monthly charge for service was problem for Apple. They are also very environmental aware and health conscious. Apple did not understand that Japan demographic of aging is very large with life expectancy being vey long. So Japan has a big 60 plus consumers demographic that live by the old tradition, values and customs. These consumer behaviors were very different from the western marketer Apple did not take these in to consideration when the iPhone came out. The marketer had to start at zero level and make huge marketing decision for the Japanese market. Quality of the iPhone its features had to be reintroducing to the consumers to the cell phone market in Japan. Many iphones were given away so as to help the consumer get comfortable with the iphone a great strategy. The monthly pricing had to be adjusted but they really had to do with the value of the Yen. The Bloomberg report today notes that the iPhone has captured 72 percent of the Japanese market. High price, lack of a video camera and support for multimedia messaging, all three of those shortcomings have been addressed. â€Å"Softbank w ho Apple used to sell iPhones gives away the phone for free, and Apple has added a video camera and support for multimedia messaging. The Bloomberg report further suggests that those moves were just what the iPhone needed to gain a foothold in Japan, which we also acknowledged in a report published August 2009.†(Tewney ,2008) Would Mickey Mouse Eat Shark’s Fin Soup? Became fiasco for Disney with reports that Disney wool start serving Shark Fin Soup to their customers in Disney Hong Kong. In a feature dated May 18, the Hong Kong Standard reports that shark fin soup, along with roast suckling pig and sliced abalone, will be included in wedding banquets Disney is promoting at the two hotels at the Hong Kong Disneyland resort. Shark’s fin soup is a traditional Chinese  delicacy popular at weddings and other important social events. Eating shark’s fin soup carries cultural significance and is seen as luxurious and a display of affluence and generosity. However the process by which sharks are caught and killed to provide the ingredients has long been criticized for the way in which fins are h arvested. A 2004 survey by the International Union for the Conservation of Nature (IUCN) found that out of 262 shark species around the world, 56 were endangered. The Hong Kong Standard publishes a follow up to the story on May 23 and reports that Disney’s plans to serve shark’s fin soup have outraged local environmentalists. Under the environmentally umbrella Disney has integrated conservation efforts into its daily operations. The company says its employees around the world proactively support environmental initiatives through all aspects of its business and states that it is â€Å"committed to balancing environmental stewardship with our corporate goals throughout the world.† Disney lesson was tradition and customs no longer overruled environmental issues because affluent consumer wants a certain food or clothes. The voice of green and environmental safety out powered and was louder than the money of the wealth who wanted the Shark Fin Soup. With the new rising environmentalist animal cruelty advocate this was not going to be easy for the affluent consumer to win. Disney was going to have to make a decision not to serve the soup at all and it did. Globalization, can intentionally or otherwise remove social and cultural differences, which can often have a bearing on consumer behavior and in turn, lead to brands developing a more consistent global identity, one which doesn’t have to worry about the backlash of possible misinterpretation in other parts of the world. This isn’t to say that marketers believe cultural issues are no longer important. In fact, quite the opposite is true. The more information a brand holds about the world and its contrasting consumers the more chance it has of understanding and manipulating them. The interlocking of economic spheres is another aspect, which has affected consumer behavior for very different reasons all together. The European Union and the combine currency of Euro connecting different countries with the same currencies make for a huge consumer behavior being established. This was also the problem with Apple’s because Japan does not have the same cultural values as the western hemisphere which was a learning campaign for Apple’s globalization. The arrival of the Internet and advances in technology have succeeded in breaking down social and cultural barriers, but have not succeeded in stopping the masses from being continually guided by those who are learning more and more about them and the way they behave. In conclusion these two global business dilemma help to open the way for a precise understanding of different culture that helps with evolving of globalization to include all cultures and to give the best culturally socially, environment decision while giving the best service and product. Reference Key Characteristic of The Japanese Consumer (2014) Retrieved from: http://www.slideshare.net/rpretet/key-characteristics-of-japanese-consumers CRS ASIA (2014) Retrieved from :http://www.csr-asia.com/weekly_news_detail.php?id=5318 Consumer Behavior (2014) Retrieved from:http://publicresearchsystems.blogspot.com/2009/01/report-on-global-factors-affecting.html Why Japans Hate Apple (2014) Retrieved from http://www.wired.com/2009/02/why-the-iphone/ . â€Å"Softbank who Apple used to sell iPhones gives away the phone for free, and Apple has added a video camera and support for multimedia messaging. The Bloomberg report further suggests that those moves were just what the iPhone needed to gain a foothold in Japan, which we also acknowledged in a report published August 2009.† Why Japans Hate Apple (2014) Retrieved from http://www.wired.com/2009/02/why-the-iphone/ Would Mickey Mouse Eat Shark’s Fin Soup Retrieved from:http://www.nytimes.com/2005/06/17/business/worldbusiness/17 shark.html?pagewanted=all&_r=0

The 10 Best Places For Dads to Work in 2017

The 10 Best Places For Dads to Work in 2017 The United States is pretty terrible when it comes to family leave- but it’s even worse for dads. Very few employers even provide paid parental leave for fathers. As Simon Isaacs, co-founder of Fatherly, told Business Insider, â€Å"This means a lot of new dads are not able to take time to bond with their babies and be at home with their families.† Isaacs is quick to add that paternity leave is not â€Å"time off.† â€Å"There is an increasing body of evidence,† he says, â€Å"behind the importance of father-child bonding beginning in the first few weeks†¦ With more couples than ever sharing responsibilities at home, paternity leave is also important to support your wife or spouse.† The conversation is happening, and hopefully, change is in the works. But in the meantime, Fatherly has compiled a sweet list of companies leading the charge. Here are some of the highlights, taking into account leave policies, flexible hours, and telecommuting opti ons.1. NetflixNetflix wins all the praise from Fatherly. And should have our respect anyway given their â€Å"Unlimited Vacation† policy. Their parental leave policy is stellar; parents (mothers and fathers) can take up to a full year of paid leave. They can also change their hours around to work as much or as little as they need at different times. And they can come in and out, go full-time, part-time, etc. and keep receiving their salaries as normal. As long as you do your job at Netflix, the company trusts you and takes care of you.2. EtsySecond on Fatherly’s list is Etsy, giving its employees a gender-blind blanket 26 weeks of paid leave. You have to take the first six weeks consecutively (at the beginning, i.e. the first six months), but then you can spread the rest out over the course of two years (post birth or adoption) as needed. Their Brooklyn office also boasts dedicated parents’ rooms and a twice weekly communal meal called â€Å"Eatsy.†3. AmE xGo Platinum with AmEx’s parental leave policy. First of all, if you adopt, undergo fertility treatment, or use a surrogate, you’re eligible for $35k in medical assistance. Then, you get 20 weeks of paid paternity leave. Then an additional 20 days of subsidized backup dependent care per year. Plus, at some of their office locations, you can take advantage of â€Å"Summer Flex† and compress your work weeks to maximize weekend time off with the fam.4. SpotifyYou get 24 weeks of paid paternity leave with no restrictions on how to use it- until your kid’s third birthday. (You even get this retroactively as a new recruit if you come in with a child under three.) Their â€Å"Welcome Back† program lets your return gradually to full-time status with the added bonus of telecommuting options. And they have a Dad-centric â€Å"Focus on Fatherhood† group with activities, programming, and networking breakfasts with top execs giving advice about work/life balance.5. FacebookFacebook offers $20k in family planning benefits for fertility treatments, egg freezing, surrogacy, etc. Then 17 weeks paid leave, plus the standard 21 days of PTO and unlimited sick days, including an additional three days per year for â€Å"taking care of sick dependents.† If your kid gets the flu, take the day off, then log into Dads@Facebook (the company’s online dad space) for advice.6. TwitterTwitter is more like Netflix than Facebook, in that there is no PTO policy. Do your job well and take all the time you need otherwise. They’ve just doubled their paid paternal leave to 20 weeks. And they have great company perks, including a prep class for Dads about to go on leave to help in the transition.7. VMware, Inc.This company offers $5k to help with adoption or surrogacy ($10k lifetime limit), a $250 â€Å"Welcome Baby† gift, and 18 weeks paid paternity leave. And they have a non-accrued vacation policy to let you shape your own tim e off- as long as you’re delivering good work.8. Bank of AmericaBank of America offers a lot of support to new parents: a Welcome Kit, free financial planning, Lifecare advice and assistance, and 16 weeks paid paternity leave. You also get a 25-day backup child care allotment and a 25-day adult care allotment for when a caregiver is not available.9. PatagoniaFathers at Patagonia get 12 weeks paid leave to be used at any time before the child’s first birthday. They have a great work-life balance reputation, and are very concerned with employees and their children thriving. There are lots of ways they help a new family get set up, including FSAs and stipends.10. DeloitteYou’re eligible for paternity leave from day one of your employment, to the tune of 16 paid weeks. They offer child-care coverage and reimbursement, and employees get an average of 40 paid days off per year regardless. Managers here won’t track time off either. So do your work, and get your life in order without stress.